The Times of the Gentiles

From the Original Baptist Observer July 2016 Issue

The second chapter of Daniel maps out one of the more important prophetic statements in the Bible. One, that if we understand properly, becomes an outline for many prophecies given throughout the rest of the Bible. It is also an important key to most other prophecies given about end time events. When Jesus spoke of the “times of the Gentiles”, and the fulfilling, or end of this, we do well to find out how this is spoken of in Biblical prophecy. (Luke 21:24)

The historical setting of Daniel two brings us to a point in time when the nation of Israel would no longer have autonomous possession of their own land, the Promised Land that had been given them by Jehovah as prophesied to Abraham. They enjoyed and occupied this land and were governed by their own people under God’s given laws for many generations.  The Babylonian captivity brings us to a time in history of the world in which God’s covenant people would still have God’s attention and know the fulfillment of prophecy. However, in this time the Gentiles would rule and dominate God’s people, and have control over their land. This second chapter of Daniel is of such significance that it has sometimes been called the “ABC’s of prophecy”.

In a few brief words, Daniel sketches first the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, and then its meaning.  In his vision, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great majestic image of a man standing upright.  This image represented the various Gentile world powers. In Daniel seven, God showed His servant, Daniel, a picture of similar scope, the imagery changing to a series of ravenous beasts. These both tell the future, from Daniel’s time, of the Gentile world governments, and the characteristics of how they could be understood in relation to their dominion over the people of God, the nation of Israel.

The image was said to be both excellent and terrible. This world power is excellent to those who profit by it, but terrible to those, and they are many, who suer oppression at its hand.

The mighty statue had a head of ne gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and mixed clay. As Nebuchadnezzar viewed it in amazement, suddenly and without warning a “stone cut out without hands” smote the colossus and completely demolished it. The stone then became a great mountain filling the whole earth.

When Daniel pressed on to the interpretation, he identified the head of gold as representing Nebuchadnezzar himself, and his kingdom of Babylon. The kingdom to follow Babylon is to be Media-Persia. It was said by Daniel to be inferior to Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

The kingdom which was to succeed Media-Persia was described as “another third kingdom of brass which shall bear rule over all the earth”. This empire is identified by name in Daniel 8:21 as Greece. The two thighs on the image may speak of the fact that this empire was, like Media-Persia, a combination of two adjacent countries— Greece and Macedonia.

The iron legs represented a fourth great world empire, which was to arise following that of Greece. This fourth kingdom is not named in the Old Testament, but immediately when one opens the New Testament and reads, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” (Luke 2:1)

This testifies that the prophecy of Daniel found its fulfillment in the great Roman Empire. Iron well typifies the resistless power of that kingdom.

Between Daniel 2:40 and 41, there is an unreckoned period of time. The legs of iron spoke of the commencement of the Roman Empire. However, the vision then passed abruptly to the final state of that kingdom, at the time just prior to the second coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ. This period was symbolized by the feet and toes which were part of iron and part clay. Thus, between these two verses is to be found what has sometimes been called “the great parenthesis” of the Old Testament prophecy. We know that between the rise of the Roman Empire and its reconstruction in the last days of this age, something previously unannounced in the program of God has appeared—the present dispensation of grace. The present church age, and its length, were not revealed by Daniel, nor to the other prophets of the Old Testament period.

Thus, the final picture in the prophecy yet remains to be fulfilled. At some later, but unspecified time, the condition is to develop represented by the feet and toes, “part of potter’s clay and part of iron”. This mixture is considered to be an attempted union between imperialism and democracy. By comparison with Daniel 7:24 and Revelation 17:12-13, the ten toes can with confidence be said to represent ten kings (or dictators) who will reign in the last days, but who will form a confederacy  in the territory once controlled by the Roman Empire. There is to be a continuation of the Roman iron, even though in an adulterated state. This confederacy of the last days could well be called “the reconstituted Roman Empire”. On this yet future period, the later prophecies of Daniel cast considerable light.

The most striking feature of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, however, was the demolishing of the great image by the Stone “cut out of the mountain without hands”. Daniel carefully explained that during the days of the ten kings (symbolized by the ten toes), God shall set up His kingdom of glory on the earth. The Stone speaks of Christ at His second advent. Other prophecies using a like symbolism may be found in such texts as Psalms 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; Zechariah 3:9; Acts 4:11; and I Peter 2:7-8.

Gentiles will have dominion over the people and the land of Israel until the second coming of Jesus, at the end of the tribulation, which events lead into the millennial reign of Jesus here on the earth. Then the Times of Gentiles will be concluded, and Israel will once again have her land, as spoken of in the end of Isaiah and the last half of the book of Ezekiel. This is then fulfilled as Jesus reigns over all the earth from His throne in Jerusalem.  Then even Gentile lands and people will be under His control, as He reigns as King of Kings, fulfilling this and other end- time prophecies. The harmony is consistent from Old Testament into the New Testament.